Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution – Tips from Bariatric Surgeon, Seth Judd, MD, FACS, FASMBS

If you are like me, you have meticulously planned out your New Year’s resolution. You have thought long and hard about what you want to change in the upcoming year. You have implemented this resolution in your mind and are excited for January 1^st to begin to take action on your well laid plan.  And your plan works great, for about 2 weeks or so.  Then, life gets in the way of your plan…work is hectic, a kid gets sick, an unexpected meeting, a snow day and all of a sudden, your sail has lost its wind and it’s March.  You are no closer to achieving that resolution you were committed to only two short months ago. So you read online how to keep your New Year’s resolutions, often seeing the same tips on different sites:  start small, change one behavior at a time, talk about it, ask for help, etc., etc.  All of these are very helpful and correct tips, but if you’re like me, they just don’t resonate. So, what else can I do? 

Here is what helps me to achieve and maintain success on some of my resolutions that may help you, too.

1. Write it down and refer to it often. Writing your resolutions on paper makes it more official, holds you accountable, and lessens the stress of remembering through all the details you accumulate during the course of a busy day.
2. Use mental imagery.  Visualize yourself performing appropriately, succeeding at your goal, and maintaining your progress down the road.  I often tell my kids to picture themselves winning a wrestling match or lacrosse game.  This has worked for many professional athletes and performers.
3. Try not to stress.  A normal day can be stressful enough; do not waste energy worrying about whether or not you will achieve your resolution, too much stress can have negative consequences on your overall health.
4. Don’t be afraid to fail. The most successful people have failed more than they have succeeded. Michael Jordan once said “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
5. Slow down! It takes time, a change won’t happen overnight.  Keep plugging away and eventually you will get there.  And remember, anything worth doing, is worth doing right!

If your New Years resolution includes getting healthy and losing weight,  resolving your diabetes or high blood pressure, or just learning how to eat properly, call Crystal Run to schedule an appointment with one of our many weight loss specialists to discuss if surgery or medical management is right for you. 

Happy New Year to you and your family,  and let’s make 2020 the decade that you rocked your resolutions. You got this!

Seth C. Judd MD, FACS, FASMBS is a Bariatric Surgeon and earned his Medical Degree from University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine and completed his Residency in General Surgery at Pinnacle Health at Harrisburg Hospital in Harrisburg, PA. He is Fellowship-trained in Bariatric Surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. Dr. Judd sees patients in Middletown and Rock Hill.